Ostrom, Elinor

Elinor Ostrom was a political economist renowned for her work on how communities manage shared resources, like fisheries or water supplies, without central regulation or privatization. She demonstrated that local groups can successfully govern common goods through collective rules, norms, and trust, challenging the idea that only government or private ownership can prevent resource depletion. Her research emphasized the importance of understanding social dynamics and local knowledge in resource management, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and effective approaches that empower communities rather than impose top-down solutions.